Hourly Workforce in U.S. Disconnected, Desires Stronger Engagement, According to New Study

Published 12:44 PM ET Wed, 18 Nov 2015
Globe Newswire

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LOUISVILLE, Ky., Nov. 18, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With employers staffing up for the holiday season, a new study finds a significant percentage of hourly workers in the U.S. feel disenfranchised by their employers and disconnected without access to company email or online tools afforded to full-time salaried employees.

Conducted by Edison Research on behalf of mobile employee communications platform Red e App, the Profile of the Hourly Worker is the first independent, quantitative survey of American hourly workers. It comes at a time when the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the U.S. workforce compensated on an hourly basis is growing rapidly – with 3.3 million more Americans being paid hourly in 2014 as compared to 2011.

"More people are equipped with digital devices than ever before, but companies are not embracing hourly workers and providing them with modern methods of communications and engagement," said Jonathan Erwin, CEO of Red e App, citing the research found 84 percent of hourly workers own a smartphone; 69 percent own a tablet. "And the research demonstrates the resulting loss manifests itself in morale, productivity and profitability."

While much attention has been paid to workers making the minimum wage, there is a growing number of more highly compensated workers who are being paid hourly, including more educated employees making higher incomes while still punching a clock. Profile of the Hourly Worker found hourly workers are generally loyal (63 percent have been with their current company two years or more; 20 percent for 10 years or more) and interested in deeper engagement with their employers (81 percent want to be more involved with their company), but the methods most companies use to communicate with them are both archaic and expose the company to risk (53.1 percent of hourly workers without company email accounts say they have used personal email for work communication).

"This study provided the opportunity to discover previously unknown facts and new insights about the hourly worker that paint a rich and complex portrait of this important part of our economy," said Tom Webster, Vice-President for Strategy at Edison Research. "This report reveals some of the keys to a loyal and engaged hourly workforce."

Edison Research conducted 1,099 online interviews of hourly workers in the U.S. were between August 14 and 19, 2015. The resulting data was weighted by gender and race to match U.S. Census hourly worker demographics. The data was then weighted by education to match U.S. Census data on full-time and part-time workers. Available for download at http://redeapp.com/research, the Profile of the Hourly Worker includes:

An in-depth demographic profile of the hourly workforce;

A breakdown of hourly workers by industry segment;

A look at workplace environment including what percentage works in office settings, stores and restaurants, factories, indoors/outdoors and more;

An analysis of hourly workers use of technology, including social media;

A deep dive into how hourly workers communicate for personal and professional reasons;

A look at how companies communicate with hourly workers and what risks are exposed as a result.

Red e App, an internal communications mobile application used by corporations globally to more effectively communicate with hourly workers, commissioned the study to better understand the communications needs of the hourly workforce. Edison Research conducted the study independently and verifies its validity as an editorial advisor to the Profile of the Hourly Worker content.

About Red e App

Red e App provides a private and secure internal communications platform that connects companies with their hourly, front-line employees and those without company email access. Red e App is focused on building a communication platform that is beneficial for enterprise business departments such as operations, human resources, risk management, and communication teams who need a unified and dedicated communication channel to reach every single employee. Red e App is available on iOS, Android, and web browsers. For more information, visit our website (http://redeapp.com).

About Edison Research

Edison Research conducts survey research and provides strategic information to a broad array of clients. It's specialities include work for media companies throughout the world, including research conducted on five continents. Edison Research is the sole provider of election exit poll data for the National Election Pool comprised of ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, NBC and the Associated Press. All of Edison Research's industry studies can be found on the company's website at www.edisonresearch.com and can be downloaded free of charge.